Safety control system.



J. C. A. ANDERSON.

- SAFETY CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.24| 1913- I 1,168,586.

Patented J an. 18, 1916.

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J. C. A. ANDERSON.

SAFETY CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 24. 1913.

1,168,586, Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

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JDHN C. A; ANDERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY CONTROL SYSTEM.

-- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 24, 1913. Serial No. 802,843.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN C. A. ANDER- SON, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Safety Control Sy terns, of which the following is a. full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to controlling devices and has for its object the provision of improved means for preventing the operation of elevators either passenger or freight should the doors or other, means for preventing access to the car or hatch not be in their access preventing position.

My invention is particularly adapted to the control of elevators by mechanically controlling the operating devices, and broadly speaking my invention concerns 1tself with the provision of devices to control at predetermined times the operation ofthe starting lever or rope. In the form of the invention as herein disclosed I provide means which when such doors are openwill then look the starting lever againstoperation, but will not entirely prevent the movement of this lever against thiscontrolling action should it be necessary in an emergency or otherwise to operate the lever even though the door were open.

In describing my invention and in the claims I will use the door as indicating any access preventing means either provided upon the car of the elevator itself or upon the framework at each floor.

I will describe three forms which my invention may takexnore in detailby referring to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a control system arranged in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a partial view of the mechanism of Fig. 1' shown in an alternative position; Fig. '3 is a similar diagrammatic view of a. modification, and Fig. 4 is a frag mentary view of a. modification.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, I show diagrammatically a floorl of an elevat-or car, in which car there is suitably provided a starting lever 2 adapted to control a cable 3, which cable of course extends to the starting and stopping devices for controlling vthe movement of the car. The lever 2 in this specific form is provided with an extending stud 4 carrying the two arms 5 and 6. These arms at their extremities areeach provided with pins 7 7, which are adapted to slide in slots 8, 8 provided respectively upon arms 9 and 10. These arms 9 and 10 are linked tof the plunger 11 associated with a solenoid 12. This solenoid is preferably mounted within a suitable framework 18 and may desirably be attached to the underside of the floor 1. The arrangement of the slots 8 issuch that whenever the solenoid is attracted to the position shown in Fig. 1, that then the right hand extremities of each of the slots 8 engage the pins 7,7.

Now whenever the lever 2 is actuated in either a clockwise or contraclockwise direc tion, then the particular pin 7 of whichever one of the arms 5 or 6 is moved away from the solenoid withdraws the plunger 11 into the dotted position shown in Fig. 1. Then if thereafter the solenoid should be come energized the attraction of its core 11 will cause'the particular arm 9 or 10 to rotate the lever2 into its central or neutral position shown by the full lines of Fig. 1. Now the solenoid 12 receives its current from any suitable source of supply, here shown as a. generator 14, and the circuit through the generator and solenoid '12 is controlled through the agency of suitable instrumentalities bridged to extending conductors'lo and 16. These conductors eX- tend into proximity of each one of the doors 17, 1'8 and 19, it being of course desired that each door which permits access'to the car be also provided with controlling devices to prevent operation of the car should the particular'door be open. Each car may be provided with a projection 20 adapted to control circuit through springs 21 and 22.

Normallywhenthis projection is away from the springs as shown in the case of the door 17, then the circuit through the" springs 21 and .22 is closed, thus closing the circuit across the conductors 15 and 16, thereby completing a circuit through the solenoid Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

'Now whenever the doors are closed as. shown in the'case of the doors lSand 19,

then the, circuit through their springs 21 and 22 remains open and the solenoid 12 remains unenergized. It will thus be seen that. the solenoid always restores the handle 2 into its central position whenever any door is open, and thus would tend to hold it in that position, thus to prevent manipulation of the cable or movement of the car during the. time any such door is open. Of course it might happen during an emergency it would be desirable to operate the car despite the factthat a door is open. In that event, the handle 2 can be operated in opposition to the pull of the core 11 and the degree of this pull can of course be regulated to any suitable extent as may be desired. For instance, it may be so regulated that it would require the use of both hands to operate the lever under such conditions so as to be entirely sure that. it would be only an emergency condition, which would permit such actuation against the action of the energized solenoid.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, I

have provided the handle 2 with a brake the arrangement in Fig. 2 is such that normally if the solenoid 28 is not energized, the

handle 2 will beheld in its last actuated position by the brake band. whenever a door isopen; A suitable source of current sup-' 7. ply 30 may be provided to furnish the current to the solenoid 28 and this circuit is connected through a series of springs 31 and 32'respectively, 'which springs are so. ar-, range'jd'that each pair of springs is in. series. ...with the circuit including the solenoid. 28/ and the sou'rce'of current 30. Thus the cir-.

cuit through allot the springs 31 and 32 must. be closed before the circuit is established, and thus all of the doors must be closedbeto're the solenoid 28 is actuated to release the pressure of the brake band against the. brake pu1ley 23. Each door :33 a projection 34: to engage the springs and close the circnit'therethrough. g

, From this it will be seen that the pressure, of the brake bandag'ainst the brake snay n be regulated to suit the require.

mentsfirrespective of the strength of an of the solenoid 28. It will also be apparent:

that the form shown in Fig. 3 is of such a character that it will be operable should the handle 2 normally be in a position slightly away from the vertical position,

which it is intended to occupy when all of the elevator devices are in their normal condition. It occurs. sometimes that due to various leakage or other irregularitiesin the apparatus that the handle '2 when the car is at rest, may be in a position slightly away from the vertical. It will be seen that the brake action would be just the same whichever is the neutral position of the handle 2.

In Fig; 1 I show a modification in which the starting cable 36 passes between a pair of jaws consisting of the fixed jaw 37 and the movable jaw 38. The movable jaw is controlled by a plunger 39 of a solenoid 10. Thus whenever the solenoid 4:0 is energized the starting cable is gripped tightly, thus to prevent operation of the car unless extreme force is used.

From what has been described, the nature modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of mygsaid invention.

Having however thus described three forms which my invention may take, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Av system of the character described comprising an elevator car,a control lever, an operating cable actuated by saidcontrol lever, a door for permitting access to said car, and means controlled by said door when in an open position to govern the actuation i of said lever, said means including a solenoid, a plunger, a pair of arms associated with said lever, and a pair of links associating said arms with said plunger.

2. A system of the character described comprising'an elevator car, a control lever, an. operating cable actuated by said control lever, a door for permitting access to said car, and means controlled by said door when in an open position to retract. said lever into neutral position,said means including a solenoid, a plunger, a pairof arms associated with said. lever, and a pair of links associating'said arms with said plunger:

3. A system of the character described comprising anv elevator car, a control lever, an operating cable actuated by said. control lever, a door for permitting access to said cargand means controlled by said door when inan; open position to govern the actuation of" said lever, said means including a solenoid, a plunger, a pair of. arms, associated with said lever, and a pair of linksassociatcomprising an elevator car, a control lever, an operating cable actuated by said control lever, a door for permitting access to said in an open position to govern the actuation.

of said lever, said means including a solenoid, a plunger, a pair of arms associated with said lever, and a pair of links associating said arms with said plunger, there being lost motion between said links and said arms, said last means also including a switch associated with said door, and means movable with said door to control said switch.

6. A system of the character described comprising an elevator car, a control lever, an operating cable actuated by said control lever, a door for permitting access to said car, and means controlled by said door when in an open position to retract said lever into neutral position, said means including a solenoid, a plunger, a pair of arms associated with said lever, and a pair of links associating said arms with said plunger, there being lost motion between said links and said arms, said last means also including a switch associated with said door and means movable with said door to control said switch.

7. A system of the character described comprising an elevator car, a control lever, an operating cable actuated by said control lever, a door for permitting access to said car, and means controlled by said door when in an open position to govern the actuation of said lever, said means including electromagnetic mechanism exerting a yielding restraint against the movement of said lever from its neutral position only during the period of its actuated condition. I

8. A system of the character described comprising an elevator car, a control lever, an operating cable actuated by said control lever, a door for permitting access to said car, and means controlled by said door when in an open position to oppose the actuation of said lever, said means including electro magnetic mechanism exerting a yielding restraint against the movement of said lever from its neutral position only during the period of its actuated condition.

9. A system of the character described comprising an elevator car, a control lever, an operating cable actuated by said control lever, a door for permitting access to said car, and means controlled by said door when in an open position to retract said lever into neutral position, said means including elec-, i

tromagnetic mechanismexerting a yielding restraint against the movement of said lever from its neutral position only during the period of its actuated condition.

10. A system of the character described,

comprising an elevator car, a control lever, an operating cable actuated by said control lever, a door tor permitting access to said car, and means controlled by said door when in an 0 Jen )osition to overn the actuation of said lever, said means including restraining mechanism tending to restrain the movement of said lever from its neutral position,

said restraining mechanism being operative only during the time said door is open.

11. A system of the character described comprising an elevator car, a control lever, an operating cable actuated by said control lever, a door for permitting access to said car, and electromagnetic means controlled by said door when in an open position to govern the actuation of said lever, said means including electromagnetic mechanism exerting a yielding restraint against the movement of said lever from its neutral position a only during the period of its actuated condition. I

12. A system of the character described comprising an elevator car, a control lever, an operating cable actuated by said control lever, a door for permitting access to said car, and means controlled by said door when in an open position to govern the actuation of said lever, said means including restraining mechanism tending to restrain the movement of said lever from its neutral position, said restraining mechanism being operative only during the time said door is openand being instantaneously released upon closure of said door.

13. A system of the character described comprising an elevator car, a control lever, an operating cable actuated by said control lever, a door for permitting access to said car, and means controlled by said door when in an open position to govern the actuation of said lever, said means including yielding restraining mechanism tending to restrain the movement of said lever from its neutral position, said restraining mechanism being operative only during the time said door is open.

.14. A system of the character described comprising an elevator car, a control lever, an operating cable actuated by said control lever, a door for permitting access to said its neutral position, said means including restrannngmechamsm to restrain the movement of said lever from its neutral position, my name thislSth day of November, A. D.,

said restraining mechanism being operative 1913. only during the time said (1001' is open and J OHN G. A. ANDERSON. being instantaneously released upon closure Witnesses: 5 of said dooln MAX W. ZABEL,

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe HAZEL ANN JONES.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for i Washington, D. C. 

